


The Promise

by cimberelly



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: M/M, Momoi is a saint, pining!aomine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-04
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-03-21 05:34:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3679836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cimberelly/pseuds/cimberelly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aomine Daiki, basketball ace extraordinaire, really sucked at a couple of things, namely and not in any particular order: talking about his feelings, confessing to the person he likes and giving up on them. So of course he has to fall in love with Kise Ryouta. That is just how these things work.</p><p>(Edited and updated with new parts)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Daiki

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ninanna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninanna/gifts), [mikocchi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikocchi/gifts).



> Because we like this kind of AoKise, so yes. Nin, this is for you. :3 Also dedicating this to Miko-chan because it was her very insightful comment that made me expand on this and make it better.
> 
> The title was shamelessly taken from my anthem for all the fail tsundere dorks, [The Promise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKaAuCsf7IU) by New Found Glory.

“Hey, Aominecchi.”

“What?”

“You ever think about falling in love?”

“Huh?”

“Falling in love! Aominecchi, are you ignoring me again? So mean!” And Kise puffed his cheeks and made the most annoying octopus face ever, making Daiki poke at one and crave takoyaki. Yeah, that was what he was going to get Kise to buy for him next.

Stupid Kise, asking unnecessary embarrassing questions and putting Daiki on the spot. He didn’t answer because he didn’t want to and instead just dragged Kise away for that takoyaki. He wanted three servings. His rumbling stomach was more important than Kise’s random questions.

Besides, Kise had no idea what it was he was asking.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, Aominecchi.”

“What?”

Kise grinned into his narrowed eyes. “You ever think about kissing?”

It was another day, another one-on-one with Kise, and he had not expected this kind of question at all. He was in possession of the ball and Kise was guarding him with a tenacity that was probably better suited for an official game but it was always like this. By now, he should have gotten past him and scored himself another basket but that question threw him.

“Huh?”

He was dribbling the ball and Kise was getting close.

Kise looked at his lips.

Daiki swallowed thickly but thankfully did not even falter or worse, just lose control of the ball completely.

“You ever think about kissing me?” Kise asked, looking at him with fire and challenge in his eyes, and Daiki knew he was really in trouble. But a ball was in his hand and they were in the middle of a game. It was probably just Kise trying to distract him and while it worked for a bit, it was not enough for him to lose.

Daiki got past Kise as he had intended and the ball sunk into the hoop as it was supposed to.

Another point for him but Daiki knew this was far from over and he had a feeling it just wasn’t the one-on-one he meant.

(An hour or so later, Daiki had won again and he and Kise were hot and sweaty and needing showers but they didn’t care. He had Kise on his lap and he was holding on to him tight as Kise kissed him like he’d been thinking about it forever and wouldn’t be able to get another chance. Daiki knew what that was like; he’d been thinking of Kise in so many ways similar to this for a while and it did feel like it had been forever.)

 

* * *

 

Daiki probably wasn't the only idiot who would agree to getting into a friends-with-benefits sort of deal with Kise Ryouta. He was also pretty sure he was not the only idiot who would end up falling in love with him, too.

See? His experience wasn't special at all and it shouldn't be a big deal but he supposed in some ways it was. Not a lot of people could say that they actually knew Kise beyond the smooth, glossy, pretty boy exterior. Sure, the world had seen him looking shiny and perfect but that was not all there was to  him. Hardly anyone saw the real brilliance of his true smile and genuine joy and if they had, no one would have stood a chance. And only a few had ever seen him at his lowest, had seen him cry those sorry, ugly tears and how hard it had been for him to climb back up again.

So maybe what he felt was sort of special because despite what he had seen and what Kise actually was, Daiki still had these feelings for him and they weren't going to go away so easily. Or maybe even ever.  

 

* * *

 

"I'm in love with Kise."

The words were hard to get out and it was almost kind of damning that he'd spoken them. He couldn't take them back especially not when he'd said them to Satsuki of all people. Satsuki who would never forget something so monumental and important about him.

Satsuki who had always known. Of course she did.

The words hung between them like something waiting to be picked up and Satsuki didn't fail him when she nodded and looked at him in acknowledgement of them.

"Will you tell him?"

She didn't validate that he knew she knew because she didn't have to; they had been like this forever. Instead she went ahead and called for a plan of action because that was how they worked.

"No," he answered, and just because Satsuki asked him for a plan didn't often mean he had one.

"Why not?" she asked, again not surprised, and Daiki just shrugged, tossing an empty box of banana milk into a nearby trash can.

It went in.

"Why should I?"

"Why shouldn't you?"

Daiki sighed, giving his childhood friend a bit of a frown because did she always have to be so pushy? (Of course she had to be. She was Satsuki.)

"It wouldn't matter."

"It would."

"Kise wouldn't want to hear it."

"...Maybe not."

They walked in silence and Daiki wasn’t surprised when she soon curled her arm around his. It was a gesture of closeness and comfort and Daiki accepted it though he didn’t feel like he needed it. No matter what, Satsuki would always be close in one way or another. As for the comfort, he supposed it was his due but it wasn’t really so bad.

He had known from the start that Kise only wanted and needed so much from him and Daiki falling for him wasn’t part of the deal. It wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened to him, really.

Still, it was...nice to be walking home with Satsuki like they always did.

“...I still think you should tell him.” Satsuki soon murmured softly beside him, her hand on his arm warm. “You’d never know what could happen until you do.”

Honestly, Satsuki had too much faith for him sometimes.

(Sometimes it made him hope just a little bit, too.)

 

* * *

 

Daiki was a person who tended to live in his head a lot. He never used to be like this. He said what was on his mind and hardly ever thought of the consequences. All he ever cared about was basketball and basketball came to him like breathing so it was all mostly instinct rather than logic. But being alone and becoming isolated even for some period of time left their mark and with hardly any decent company who would understand, Daiki came to just have himself and his thoughts for company. He didn’t particularly enjoy it even now but a lot of the time, even when he had people he liked spending time with, he’d get lost in his thoughts and he knew this didn’t mean anything good.

He had never been particularly smart, never really enjoyed having to use his brain for things that he could just easily solve with a basketball or his fist. His grades were abysmal and if it weren’t for Satsuki, he probably never would have passed much of school. But he still mulled things over when he was left to himself and nowadays all he ever seemed to think about outside of basketball was Kise.

A lot of the time it was still related to basketball, like how Kise almost, _almost_ won the last time they had a one on one. It was amazing and exciting and it drove Aomine harder to do even better unlike anything he had ever felt in a long time. It was a good, exhilarating feeling and it kind of made him proud that Kise was doing so well. He inspired all that talent to have some direction after all.

Other times it was the things they usually ended up doing when basketball wasn’t part of the equation. Kise was beautiful, everyone knew it, but it was still something else to have that bit of Kise’s beauty that only he could see. Or at least, he liked to tell himself that it was something Kise only showed him--the gold of his hair against his pillow, the soft glow of his eyes, the flush of his cheeks and the softness of his lips. The way Kise touched him and sent his heart beating fast unlike anyone had ever done before.

And now he thought of how awful it would be to lose Kise if he told him about how he really felt but Satsuki’s words made him think of what-ifs. What if he actually manned up and told him? What if he actually said the words and just told him everything?

What if Kise didn’t run?

It took him some time to think and mull over things some more, more conversations with Satsuki that either made him ball up in a fit of crippling insecurity or grumpy frustration, but in the end, there was really only one way all this was going to go.

 

* * *

 

"...I like you."

Somehow, he was able to get the words out the first time he tried. Then again, it wasn't the first time he uttered them. He spent quite some time trying them out, changing them up, but in the end, the words themselves were the easiest to say. Daiki had always been simple anyway and so the best way was always the one with the least complications.

His words were simple, honest. They couldn't be mistaken for anything else but with idiots like Kise sometimes they still missed. It was obvious when Kise blinked then proceeded to smile brightly, cheekily and responded with a peppy, "Aww, Aominecchi. I like you too!"

They were words that made Daiki's heart pound in his chest but he didn't let himself get carried away. Again, Kise was an idiot and Daiki just did not expect his confession to progress so smoothly without a hitch.

"No." He quickly barreled on forward in the face of Kise's expected but no less annoying confusion. "No. I mean, I know you like me." That just sounded wrong. "I mean! I like you but--"

God, words were hard.

"Not like that!"

They were heading home through one of those parks near some basketball courts after another one of their one on ones. Daiki didn't want to do this where there were a lot of people and he didn't want to do it at a basketball court. A basketball court was too important, too sacred for both of them and he would not associate such a place with all this bumbling. But they played first because that was what they did and Daiki always was better after a good game. The pace had been relentless and brutal as it always was but it prepared him as well as it possibly could for this. The adrenaline from playing carried him over to actually telling Kise what had been forming in his chest and whirling around his head for some time now. It was now sinking in what he had just said, what he had just done, and it was kind of terrifying. No practice in the world could actually prepare him for this.

Kise was staring at him in confusion for the longest time but then he started to get it and Daiki braced himself. He watched as those bright eyes widened as the words finally sunk in. Then he started turning pink then red. He ducked his head and tried to hide it but Daiki saw. Daiki hadn't expected that. It was...

Fuck, he wanted to just lean in and kiss him senseless but now was definitely not the time for that. But Kise being shades of pink and red was always so stunningly pretty it was very hard not to.

After a while, Kise finally spoke.

"...Aominecchi."

He had witnessed Kise turning down girls before. It wasn’t intentional, but if you couldn’t find Kise after school at Teiko, one of the places he could be at was somewhere secluded where girls gave him their carefully worded love letters and confessed their undying love for him. Kise was always patient, always gentle. It wasn’t the girls’ fault that they felt this way and it would just be unnecessarily cruel to be anything but kind even when Kise didn’t feel the same way. (And Kise didn’t want to lose his fans by being awful to them but that didn’t really need to be said.)

Kise never sounded hesitant or pained during those times when he received those confessions unlike now when he just called him by that stupid nickname.

“...Aominecchi.” Kise tried again and this time it sounded firmer and Daiki hated how he felt something in him sink deep and cold in his belly.

“You know I…” Kise bit his lip, seemed to be thinking of what to say, and at any other time, Daiki would have bragged at the fact that he’d stumped him for once. But again, this was different. Daiki sure didn’t feel like bragging about anything.

Kise met his gaze from under the shade of his bangs, his voice still soft and quiet. “...Do you want to be together?”

Daiki wanted it. He wanted to be with Kise, to be able to play basketball with him, to be able to be close to him like no one else was, to be able to feel this way and for it to be returned. He wanted it all. But somehow, in the way that Kise looked at him with something that wasn’t happiness or excitement, in the way he spoke like he was so unsure, he knew that wasn’t what he was going to get.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and balled his fists tight on his sides. It was funny. He expected this but why did he still feel so damn disappointed?

“Not if you don’t want to be.” He didn’t understand the way Kise was looking at him and maybe he should pay more attention to it, but now that he knew where this would leave him, he just wanted it done and over with. “I mean, yeah. I do. S’why I told you, right? But I know it’s sudden and I know we never said that all this was going to lead to--”

Being together. No. They never discussed it. They were just supposed to be messing around.

Daiki shook his head, took another breath. He was so goddamn stupid.

“Just. Yeah. I get it.”

“Aominecchi,” Kise looked like he was going to reach out to him for a moment there but then stopped at the last minute. Daiki was horribly glad he did. “I’m sorry.”

Daiki had no idea what he was sorry for. Kise wasn’t the stupid one who fell in love. Kise wasn’t the one who spilled his guts and probably ruined something.

“What’re you sorry for, idiot?” It came out gruff, annoyed, and he watched as a bit of a smile lifted one side of Kise’s lips. Good. Kise looked better when he smiled. “It’s not your fault.”

The smile stayed on Kise’s face and though it looked sad and regretful, Daiki was glad it was there. It was also good that Kise didn’t seem willing to push the issue. Sometimes, Kise knew what was up and he knew Daiki in a way. It was a comforting but also hollowing thought.

“Will you be okay?” Kise asked, soft and careful.

Daiki looked at him, watched the golds and reds of the setting sun touch Kise’s beautiful, unforgettable features and felt himself ache.

“Yeah.”

He shoved his cold hands into the pockets of his jacket. He looked away.

“I’ll survive.”

 

* * *

 

It had been a while since he could comfortably fit into Satsuki’s bed, nevermind when they were both on it. Still, they managed somehow as they watched a concert of one of Satsuki’s favorite girl groups. This wasn’t the first time they’ve watched this concert and Daiki still thought the girls’ tits were too small for his liking but for tonight this was all right. He needed to be distracted and one of Satsuki’s sappy dramas wasn’t going to cut it.

“Dai-chan,” Satsuki called his attention, nudging his side with a socked foot, “are you sure you’re okay there?”

He was on his stomach with his arms and head over a pink stuffed pig at the foot of the bed. He occupied half of the space and it was bordering on uncomfortable. It looked like he could fall off the side anytime.

“Your bed is too damned small.”

His grumbling just earned him a giggle and another nudge, “You’ve just grown so much, that’s all.”

They didn’t talk for a while and Daiki let himself zone out, emptying his mind as he watched the concert, losing himself in bright lights and sparkly idols. Behind him, Satsuki was singing along and he would hardly admit it but he knew the songs by heart too.

It wasn’t long before Satsuki flopped down beside him, lying so close that they were shoulder to shoulder and he could smell the fruity scent of her shampoo. She nudged at him again.

“Dai-chan.”

“What.”

“I’m proud of you.”

A lot of the time, Satsuki was annoying and pushy but Daiki was really thankful that she was always right there beside him no matter what.

 

* * *

 

It got kind of weird between him and Kise after that.

Daiki expected it to be, like he expected that Kise wouldn’t agree to getting together. Kise wanted things that would require him his freedom and he had never been one who liked being tied down anyway. Daiki had his plans too after all and not all of them really involved Kise in any way, shape or form. But they still had to see each other sometimes because of basketball and friends and they had a connection no matter how Kise probably actually wanted to run and Daiki needed time to adjust to how things were going to be from then on.

Daiki knew it wouldn’t be easy, for both of them, to stay away.

 

* * *

 

He saw Kise again during a party. Daiki had no idea who the host was but it was after the Winter Cup and most everyone was invited. It was crowded and Daiki had lost track of Satsuki but somehow, he knew he didn’t need to be worried. He wasn’t the only one from Touou there and he was pretty sure other people they knew would step in if there was any trouble for her.

He was sitting outside on a chair in the balcony. It was kind of cold but nothing he couldn’t handle. For some reason, he had a normally warm body temperature so he didn’t get cold easily. Then there was the fact that he hated being cold anyway and just piled on the layers to keep the chill out as best as he could. It was starting to get a bit rowdy inside and he just felt like he needed some quiet.

Of course who would suddenly appear but Kise.

Daiki was just minding his own business when suddenly, the door to the balcony opened and someone walked out. Or maybe burst out was the better word.

“Oh, shit! Cold…”

And Daiki knew that voice anywhere.

Daiki also knew that shivering profile because the idiot wasn’t wearing the appropriate layers and what else was new? Kise and his stupid “style over function”. He was shivering and rubbing at his arms and Daiki felt his eyebrow tick to see that his hands were bare. Daiki felt like throwing something at him for being stupid and to wrap him up to get him warm at the same time.

“You should’ve put a coat on, you idiot.”

That stopped Kise from shivering for a moment. He turned to Daiki’s direction and Daiki watched as those eyes widened in recognition. “Aominecchi…”

Kise was looking surprised and then kind of awkward, looking around like he wanted to run. It hurt, Daiki really felt a pang in his chest, but he ignored it and just got up from his seat.

“It’s been a while, huh?” Kise was chattering, smiling and pink and trying to act normal. “You must’ve been busy. Congratulations by the way! You did a great--”

Daiki draped his jacket over his shoulders and somehow that made Kise stop talking. The jacket was this thing with belts and straps and zippers. Also kind of shorter and tighter fitting than he’s used to. He had no idea where it came from but it was the first thing in his closet so he put it on. Probably something his mother got from her trip overseas. Whatever. It looked better on Kise though that shouldn’t be a surprise. Kise looked great in anything.

Daiki sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. They were standing side by side after a botched confession and what felt like a lifetime. He had no real idea of what he should say to Kise.

“...Thanks,” he said in response to Kise’s chattering about the Winter Cup.

Kise was silent and Daiki could feel him trying to think of what else to say. Kise was never good with silences. Daiki wasn’t either but he was better at withstanding them.

Cloth rustled and Daiki didn’t need to glance to the side to know that Kise had huddled deeper into the jacket.

“Thank you. For the jacket.” Kise said haltingly and Daiki hated the awkwardness between them. He caused this, didn’t he? Not for the first time, he regretted ever saying anything.

“Is this new?” Kise asked, making small talk.

“I think Okaasan got it for me.”

“She has great taste. It’s a nice jacket. It must look very good on Aominecchi.”

“It looks better on you,” and the moment Daiki said it he wished he could take it back.

Kise paused, the awkwardness between them swelling.

“...Shit.”

Kise wasn’t looking at him but he could practically feel him also feeling him out, trying to think of what he would do and what he should do in response. Daiki hated that it had come to this. He had to get out of here.

“Look, I’m sorry--Do you want me to leave? I’ll just go. Sorry--”

“Aominecchi.”

He was about to go, to turn and walk away and give Kise his space but now he stopped. It took some courage but he was able to look over his shoulder to look at Kise to find him actually looking at him. He had turned toward him, away from the railing and the city view that they had not really been looking at earlier. Kise had the jacket wrapped closely around himself like a security blanket and he looked sad and vulnerable. Daiki also knew that that was his fault.

“Can we talk?”

Daiki thought they didn’t really have anything to talk about but what did he know? He found himself nodding and a few moments later, he and Kise were sitting on the chairs out on the balcony.

"I'm sorry."

Daiki sighed, glancing on over to Kise as he did. "I told you, nothing's your fault."

"But I made it weird..." Kise said in a small voice that made Daiki think that he was huddling even deeper into his jacket. It made him want to reach out and wrap an arm around him. "I just...I don't know what to do, Aominecchi."

The city view before them was decent with an actual view of the sky but Daiki did always prefer more natural scenery than city scapes. The night was peaceful, the party inside the apartment muffled somehow. Daiki took a deep breath. The cold was starting to get to him a little but it wasn't too bad. There were more pressing things at the moment.

"Do you want me to just leave you alone?"

"No," Kise answered with hardly a pause and Daiki was actually surprised. It was not an answer he was expecting though in truth he never really thought much of what Kise could probably think after everything. "I don't want that. I don't want to lose you again."

"...Are you sure?" Daiki asked after a while, after a bit of quiet contemplation. " _I_ made it weird and you don't have to take it, you know."

"Silly, Aominecchi," he could hear the slight smile in Kise's voice and it was kind of comforting. Kise smiled because of him in a way. "You say it like being in love with me is such a bad thing."

At the words spoken so easily, Daiki had to blush. "Oi, I didn't say I _loved_ you..." _Liked_ . He said "liked" but he supposed it wasn't too far off.

Kise laughed, softly, like he knew what was going on in Daiki's mind and Daiki had that familiar urge to push at him and make him fall over.

But then Kise leaned his head by his shoulder and Daiki had to stop. Kise didn't say anything for a while and Daiki didn't know what to say or do either so he just stayed there. Like this, it was warmer and it felt good to be this close to Kise again, no matter how he’d miss it again later when he was gone.

"I don't mind that Aominecchi loves me," he finally said some time later, still with his head over Daiki's shoulder, still warm and close.

"Just stay. Please?"

It was typical Kise, sweet but sly and selfish, but somehow Daiki didn't mind it too much.

If he didn't like this side of Kise then he probably wouldn't even think about staying when he asked.

"Fine."

It wasn't like he actually he wanted to be anywhere else.

 

* * *

 

They were friends and they remained so even after high school and even beyond that. As time went on and they stepped into adulthood, both of them had gotten busier with their own lives but somehow, they made it work. Kise was always around, if not physically then by text, a call or a message on whatever social media platform he was into at the time.

And he always sought Daiki out and made sure to keep in contact, even if it was just to send him a bunch of emoticons or a picture of what he ate that day that compelled Daiko to even just send back a lazy “wth” the next day after it was received.

Sometimes, Daiki wondered why Kise even bothered when he wasn’t the best at keeping in touch. In the end, he figured he was just going to have to live with the fact that he’d never be rid of Kise and he’d never actually get over him

Daiki tried to move on; he really did. He had a couple of girlfriends, all of which had his prerequisite of being the proper busty cup size, but his relationships never really lasted long for whatever reason. It was just never like how it was with Kise and he knew how pathetic that sounded given how they never even actually dated.

It wasn’t really a problem, though. There were worse things than having Kise Ryouta always at the fringes of his thoughts and in the parts of his heart that no other person could probably ever touch. There was a lot of time to get used to all that and it was fine with him. It hurt sometimes when he took the time to think about it and it really sucked but it really looked like there was nothing he could do.

Satsuki always said he would get through his severe case of lovesickness eventually; he just needed to persevere and be patient.

Daiki just thought he was doomed but he’d never actually say that out loud.

 

* * *

 

 "How've you been, Aominecchi?"

"Sleep deprived. I've been put on a shitty shifting schedule but what can you do, ha?"

"At least you get to sleep in your own bed every day."

Again, as always, Kise was pouting and it was really annoying how he was a grown ass man, a fucking certified pilot, and he was still puffing his cheeks like a five year old. Daiki stayed the urge to poke a cheek and just rolled his eyes, took another sip of his coffee like a semi-responsible adult that he sort of was nowadays.

"Suck it up. You're the one who wanted to become a pilot."

Kise sighed, all dramatics, and leaned his chin on his upturned palm. "That is true..."

It had been a couple of years and it kind of still amazed Daiki how he and Kise were here, talking and bickering like nothing much has changed. Sure, he still saw people from high school every now and then but it was still kind of surprising. After all they've been through, it was kind of mind boggling to look back and then take the time to see what was happening now.

To most everyone's surprise, Kise decided to give up both modeling and basketball to become a pilot. A lot of people didn't get it because Kise had a career in modeling and he had a promising future with basketball but then again, this was Kise. If he wanted to do something, he did it and no one was going to stop him, not when he had the time and means to do so. And he somehow got it into his head that he wanted to become a pilot and so he went for it. From what everyone could see, Kise seemed happy and that was what was important.

No one also expected Daiki to become a cop but life was funny that way. Daiki was more than all right with where he was, though, and he couldn't really ask for more.

Or he could but it wasn't going to be as easy as all that. And it was probably really dumb to keep his hopes up through the years but it wasn't as if he could just stop.

Kise sighed again and Daiki focused on what was going on right now. Coffee with Kise before he went off somewhere again. Where was it this time? Somewhere in Europe? Daiki didn't know anymore.

Kise wasn't looking at him. "You're really embarrassing. Do you know that, Aominecchi?"

Daiki frowned. Sometimes it was really a pain in the neck, the way Kise just said things to him out of the blue. "What did I do now?"

"That." Kise looked at him for a moment to emphasize whatever point he was making before looking away again. Then Daiki saw it: the red on his cheeks and ears. Suddenly, it brought him back.

Back to so many years before with his heart laid open and vulnerable before Kise.

Had it really been that long?

Again, Kise's voice was soft, "Do you have to look at me like that all the time?" but unlike the last time, he didn’t sound pained and when he finally turned those eyes at him, there was a bit of a smile on his lips. “You could give a guy a complex, you know?”

Despite himself, Daiki had to scoff. “Me? Give Kise Ryouta a complex?”

“But it’s Aominecchi!” Kise whined and Daiki almost winced. “Because you’re special and not like anyone else, okay?”

It wasn’t as if Kise never sang him praises because he had but it was usually about basketball so Daiki had learned through the years not to really fall into the trap of thinking it could be about anything else. It couldn’t be about anything else. Right?

Daiki did his best to recover quickly, shrugging it off. Being cool. “‘Don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not looking at you like anything, model-san.”

Kise had the audacity to roll his eyes. “But you are and I haven’t been ‘model-san’ for a long time now. Get with the program.” He even threw a packet of sugar at him, the brat. “I am so onto you, Aominecchi.”

“Oh yeah?” Daiki threw the packet back at him and it hit Kise on the forehead. He sniggered.

Kise made a prissy face and flicked his bangs from his face like the prissiest model-san alive. It compelled Daiki to reach for more ammunition to throw at him. Being around Kise often made him revert back to being five years old too.

“Yeah. Aominecchi’s been in love with me for years and he hasn’t tried to do anything about it again.”

Daiki stopped in mid-motion, one hand on the tray with the little packets of condiments. If he had food in his mouth then, he would have choked. Thankfully, there wasn’t any. Still, there was that doomed feeling he got like he was in danger of dying anyway. He was so stunned Kise actually managed to land a hit on his forehead with another sugar packet, the little shit.

“Stupid Aominecchi.” Kise was grumbling, one cheek in mid-puff, and now that Daiki was paying more attention, he noticed he was still blushing. “This is you getting your revenge, isn’t it? Making me work for it…”

The little tray of condiments was pulled away from Kise’s reach before he decided to toss more packets of sugar, soy sauce or whatever at him. Daiki was in uniform and he hated getting dirty when he didn’t have to. Besides, it gave him time to absorb the sudden plot twist of the sad, pathetic drama that was his life.

Carefully, he considered his options even as his heart started to pound with an excitement that he hadn’t felt in years.

“So do you want me to ask you out?”

Kise crossed his arms over his chest, trying to look cool but he was obviously flustered. He was finding it hard to look at Daiki again. “It’s a start.”

Daiki had to smile a little. Kise could be so fucking cute sometimes. “When are you coming back?”

Kise granted him a glance. “Next week.”

He nodded. “Sushi sound good?”

“...You know what I like.” and somehow, Kise started to relax, shoulders loosening, arms falling a bit slack. He still looked a bit shy and unsure, looking at him from under those ridiculous eyelashes, and Daiki couldn’t blame him.

He didn’t expect anything like this to happen today either and after so long, it was a welcome, wonderful surprise. It was really funny how life worked sometimes.

Daiki watched as the blush started to spread from Kise’s cheeks down his throat and almost burst out laughing when Kise’s hands flew up to cover his face, whining, “Aominechiiiiii, stop looking at me!”

But Daiki couldn’t stop and Kise would just have to deal.

Kise brought this onto himself and now that he was allowed, Daiki was definitely not looking elsewhere ever again.


	2. Ryouta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was just always something about Aominecchi. He was special and Ryouta had always adored being close to him in any way that he could be. Had even gotten him closer than close that brief time back in high school when he was more of a brat and a whole lot more selfish than he thought he was now. And that had been a glorious time though he had probably been a bit too careless that he hadn’t seen that he had gotten too close until it was too late and he hurt him, his special person, and he hadn’t known any other action to take but to run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part just felt like it would be better from Kise's point of view and so I just added it as a side thing. Hope you don't mind the additional 1,000+ words hehe <3

Ryouta was in the middle of feeling like giving up on his studies for the lost cause that they were for the day when he got the text.

_oi u busy?_

If that was supposed to be a sign, Ryouta was going to take it as one. He closed his books and slid away from his desk to focus on sending a text message back.

_Not anymore! What’s up, Aominecchi? Did you miss me?? >w<)//_

He had barely gotten a very comfortable position on his bed when the reply came.

_m hngry. dinner?_

Despite the very brusque text and how he knew he would end up paying for dinner, Ryouta had to smile and easily rolled off his bed again to prepare to go out.

_Yes!!! Let’s do that! >o<)9 U at your dorm?_

_y_

_Be there in 30 minutes! v( > w < )v_

_jst get hir. m starving._

Ryouta laughed and put his phone down so he could get a quick shower in before he left. He spent most of his day in class and it looked like his hair was going flat. And well, he did like looking nice, especially if he was going to go to dinner with Aominecchi.

As promised, Ryouta arrived to pick up Aominecchi at his dorm 30 minutes later. Aominecchi was waiting at the lobby and was looking as grumpy as usual but something seemed off. He barely reacted to Ryouta’s usual chattering with more than complaining about his noise like he always did but there was just something different. Now, he and Aominecchi had been friends for a long time and the years had afforded Ryouta some sensitivity, if not maturity, so he didn’t immediately point it out. Aominecchi hated it when Ryouta pried and Ryouta really didn’t want the night to end before they had even sat down for their meal.

They ended up at this ramen place that was near Aominecchi’s dorm. It was nicer than the usual hole-in-the-wall places that Aominecchi frequented for cheap meals but Ryouta could more than afford it and well, he liked making sure Aominecchi wasn’t surviving on just konbini food and instant ramen. Not that Aominecchi couldn’t afford it either, but he was lazy and simple at most times and there were just some habits from high school that never went away, like how he ate junk for the most part.

He was in the middle of whining about his course load (“If I knew becoming a pilot was gonna be this hard, I wouldn’t have bothered!”) and his latest shoot (“Animal print, Aominecchi! That is so two years ago!”) when Aominecchi finally dropped the bomb.

“Nami broke up with me.”

Ryouta had been breaking up his chopsticks and when he heard what Aominecchi said, he ended up breaking them up too roughly. Now he had two uneven pieces.

“Ah…” Ryouta trailed off and to cover up the awkwardness from him a little, he got another pair of chopsticks to use. He glanced up to look at Aominecchi to see him frowning though Ryouta could tell that it wasn’t a particularly sad frown. He just looked frustrated and to Ryouta, that made sense, of course.

“What happened?” he inquired gently. “The two of you seemed fine the last time I saw you.”

Nami-san had been Aominecchi’s girlfriend, his third one in the last couple of years and they had been together for a while. Ryouta and a lot of of their friends had thought that they would be together for a while yet, if not for the long haul. Aominecchi seemed happy and Nami-san was a kind and caring person.

“She said I didn’t have time for her.” Aominecchi was finally able to say after their bowls of ramen was put before them. Then he started eating and Ryouta had no choice but to follow suit. Ramen must be eaten quickly anyway; it was best eaten hot.

In all honesty, though, Ryouta was too distracted by the news to really enjoy his bowl of shio ramen, his favorite. He had no idea what to say to Aominecchi though he had been there too the last two times Aominecchi’s relationships had failed. Ryouta had girlfriends too but those relationships never lasted as long as Aominecchi’s and they never were even half as serious. He was not the best person to go to for situations like this but he still found himself here with Aominecchi anyway. Not that he’d push him toward Momocchi instead though that was probably the better course of action. He liked being here for Aominecchi in a way that he could be, as useless as it probably was.

And it was probably horrible but he liked being one of the first to hear the news and from Aominecchi himself.

There was just always something about Aominecchi. He was special and Ryouta had always adored being close to him in any way that he could be. Had even gotten him closer than close that brief time back in high school when he was more of a brat and a whole lot more selfish than he thought he was now. And that had been a glorious time though he had probably been a bit too careless that he hadn’t seen that he had gotten too close until it was too late and he hurt him, his special person, and he hadn’t known any other action to take but to run.

And here they were, a few years later, and he was still being horrible because he never had the decency to stay away. He stayed close to Aominecchi though he had hurt him because he hadn’t wanted to let him go. Aominecchi stayed because he loved him and that never changed though he tried to be happy with other people. It always ended with him looking frustrated and annoyed at himself while he sat across Ryouta over whatever dinner Ryouta thought he wanted that night.

It should make Ryouta guilty but guilt had never been something he enjoyed and so he did his best to ignore it. It was just a total waste of time to be guilty when he could have Aominecchi to himself at least for a while.

At least he didn’t pretend to be devastated by Aominecchi’s break up. Hina-san was nice enough and all but it was probably for the best.

“Well, Aominecchi is very busy,” Ryouta said, being careful and reasonable about it though he still got a bit of a glare for his trouble. “You’ve been working hard to become a police officer after all.”

Everyone had thought Aominecchi would pursue basketball much like they thought Ryouta would too but life was funny that way. Now Aominecchi was studying to become a cop and Ryouta was struggling through university to be a pilot.

“Are you saying I was neglecting her?” Aominecchi asked, growling out his words in that way that was supposed to serve as a warning. If Ryouta said something wrong, Aominecchi was going to punch him and it didn’t matter if Ryouta was paying for dinner.

Thankfully, Ryouta had a lot of experience with dealing with a seriously upset Aominecchi. “I didn’t say that,” Ryouta said evenly, gently but firmly, looking his companion in the eye. “I’m just saying that your studies do take up a lot of your time and it’s really something you can’t help.”

Ryouta had a lot other things he could say but he wasn’t really looking to actually get punched. He wasn’t here to fight after all though Aominecchi was probably looking for one.

Dinner continued on from there. Aominecchi was still in a bad mood but it was something that couldn’t be helped. Ryouta just tried to enjoy his meal as best as he could. Thankfully, when he got an order of gyoza to share, that seemed to go over well with Aominecchi. Ryouta let him take most of it; Aominecchi needed them more than he did.

The walk back to the dorm was a quiet one but that was fine. The night was nice and cool and the stars were out. Sometimes their elbows brushed against each other but no one commented on it. It was something they were comfortable with after spending so much time together through the years. Ryouta could imagine this being romantic but he easily pushed the thought away, shaking his head wryly at himself.

_Ryouta, you’re terrible. Knock that off._

Soon, they were at the doors of the dorm and Aominecchi turned to look at Ryouta.

“So,” he began, pissiness making way for awkwardness, and Ryouta tried not to think about how cute Aominecchi was when he as awkward. “I guess this is me.”

Ryouta nodded, smiling, hands in his pockets and rocking on his heels. “Mmhm.”

“Thanks for dinner.” Aominecchi managed to say and Ryouta couldn’t stop the grin from taking over his face.

“You’re welcome though really, Aominecchi could be more grateful. I was studying really hard, you know, and--ow!”

Aominecchi had flicked him hard on the forehead.

“Shut up.” Aominecchi rolled his eyes at the way Ryouta pouted and had a hand to his forehead. “You could’ve said ‘no’.”

“And leave Aominecchi to be sad and lonely when he missed me? No way!” and Ryouta laughed and had to dance away before Aominecchi caught him and caused him more harm.

Aominecchi was giving him that smug little smirk of his and Ryouta knew he would be all right though he didn’t doubt it for one second.

“Brat.”

And if Ryouta thought he heard something fond and soft in the way Aominecchi called him names, he ignored it. He only smiled wider.

“You know I’m awesome, Aominecchi.” He stuck his tongue out at him. “You could just stop denying it and make things easier for yourself.”

Aominecchi just shook his head and flapped a hand at him as he made to go. “Whatever helps you sleep at night. See you, Kise.”

“Goodnight, Aominecchi!”

Ryouta watched him enter his dorm, waving when he looked over at him one last time before he disappeared inside. He was still waving even after Aominecchi couldn’t be seen anymore and he consciously had to make himself stop. It was the same thing for the smile on his face that was starting to feel weird and strained anyway.

He stood there alone for a bit, not really knowing why and what it was he was waiting for. He just felt heavy suddenly, acutely aware of how alone he was for some reason he couldn’t explain.

It took a bit more time before he could make himself walk toward home.

He felt exhausted.

It had been a long day but somehow his heart and steps just felt heavier and he wished he knew why.


End file.
